Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, hinted at a potential comeback for Google Glass during a recent interview with CNBC. This wearable technology, initially launched in 2013, faced significant commercial challenges.
However, Google seems to be revisiting the idea by developing prototype glasses that integrate with Project Astra, their new multimodal AI assistant. Pichai himself highlighted the potential of this combination, stating, "Project Astra shines when you have a form factor like glasses."
The Project Astra demo showcased the prototype glasses in action, performing tasks like enhancing whiteboard schematics, interpreting drawings, and even generating creative ideas.
While Google hasn't provided further details on the prototypes or Project Astra's integration timeline, online reactions have been positive. Many viewers commented on the potential of this revival, especially considering the growing interest in wearable technology from competitors like Apple and Facebook.
The original Google Glass launch in 2013 faced significant hurdles. Despite initial enthusiasm, the technology was met with public mockery and production challenges. As documented by author Quinn Meyers, these issues ultimately led to the discontinuation of Google Glass 1.0 in 2015. Two subsequent enterprise editions, released in 2017 and 2019, also failed to gain traction and were discontinued by 2023.
The Project Astra demo, however, suggests that Google hasn't abandoned the concept entirely. With the power of their latest AI assistant, a Google Glass resurgence might be closer than ever.